Melodies of the Wind
by RainShadow
Summary: Saint Tail and her detective expand on their relationship, and Meimi has a hard time keeping her emotions in check. (Meimi/Asuka Jr.) Meanwhile, a new villian becomes aware of Saint Tail... **chapter 3 up!**
1. The Detective's Reward

Disclaimer: Saint Tail and other characters don't belong to me and I am not making any profit.

A/N: okie, well I'm reading the English manga, and I have to Book 4, so I'm going totally off that. Sorry if that messes with further storylines... I'm still familiarizing myself with Saint Tail and everyone else, but I immediately fell in love with it! Anyway, I do have a further plotline for this story, it takes a bit more of a serious tone later. That's where the title comes in. So enjoy ^_^

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Melodies of the Wind: Part One: The Detective's Reward

It was dark in the basement of the Yoshinoya Residence-- the only light came from the dim starlight that sparkled through the few, small windows. Saint Tail, clad in her black magician's suit, her hair in its trademark ponytail, slipped silently through the shadows. Her mission: Recover the family quilt that had been stolen from its rightful owner.

Earlier in the week, a young man had come to the church to pray for guidance, and had told Seira Mimori, a girl training to be a Sister, of his troubles. Apparently, the quilt had belonged to his great-grandmother and been passed down through each generation. It was very old and very valuable. Then it had disappeared, and the young man suspected his mother-in-law, who happened to be Mrs. Yoshinoya. He believed she had hired professional thugs to steal it, because he and the rest of the family never saw or heard a thing the night it was stolen.

As usual, Seira told her friend Meimi Haneoke, a.k.a. Saint Tail, of the youth's woes. Meimi was more than a little nervous when she heard that Mrs. Yoshinoya was behind the robbery; the lady was well known for her wealth and power, but also her cruelty and insensitivity.

Nevertheless, Meimi served the Lord, and in his name she would right wrongs, even if that meant going toe-to-toe with one of the most dangerous people in the world. She had then sent Asuka Jr., a boy that attended her school, her calling card. The son of a detective, Asuka was determined to catch the mysterious Saint Tail. Little did he know that she was right under his nose, little unassuming Meimi Haneoke.

It didn't help matters that everytime Meimi saw him, her insides started melting. It didn't make a difference if she was Meimi or Saint Tail, he always set her heart fluttering. This made her job more dangerous, of course, but in a way Meimi appreciated. She loved playing the game of cop-and-robber with the dedicated Asuka Jr.; it added spice and excitement.

So there she was, searching quietly for the quilt in the basement of a wicked woman, dozens of guards above her. She had been looking for a long time, almost an hour, and she was getting nervous. Asuka was upstairs with the rest of the security; apparently Mrs. Yoshinoya had neglected to mention the existence of the basement. Meimi scowled-- it was probably because the woman had other stolen goods stored away down here. Still, she was sure the quilt was here.

Meimi sighed and sat down-- onto something soft. She jumped up and inspected it-- yes! It was the quilt

At the top of the stairs a rectangle of light spilled out across the basement, and Meimi could hear Asuka's voice.

"I wish you had told me there was a basement," he said irritably. "I'm going to check it out real quick-- it doesn't look like Saint Tail's coming tonight." Was that a hint of disappointment in his voice? His silhouette appeared, blocking most of the light. Meimi quickly ducked behind a chest, her heartbeat accelerating. "Hey, are there any lights? No? All right." With an annoyed sigh the teen started cautiously down the stairs.

The door clicked behind him and the shaft of light disappeared. He grumbled to himself and Meimi suppressed a giggle. Dear Asuka, playing detective with her for..._*goodness! A year tonight he's been pursuing me!* _Meimi realized. The fifteen-year old could hardly believe how Time had flown by.

But now she focused back on the detective-- who was heading her way! Made bold by the avoidance of capture for an entire year, Meimi executed a daring plan. Asuka neared her hiding place.... She waited until he had his back turned then leapt silently and covered him in the blanket, sending them both sprawling to the floor. Asuka gave a small cry and twisted around. The quilt encumbered his movement, pressing his arms to his sides. He was well and truly trapped.

"Saint Tail?!" he demanded of the figure above him, peering avidly into the dim light. A laugh tinkled in his ears and suddenly a gloved hand covered his mouth. A feminine voice whispered,

"Be quite, Detective, we can't have you giving me away, can we?" Asuka struggled uselessly, trying very hard *not* to think about the warm body pressing on him, the soft voice in his ear, the sweet perfume of her hair, the firm yet gentle fingers on his face. It didn't work.

Meimi could hardly breathe she was so terribly excited. What she was doing was so dangerous and exhilarating and it sent pleasurable shivers down her spine. Below her, Asuka moaned through her fingers as he felt her body *move* like that. The thief was suddenly aware of how very close they were. She gulped.

"You know," she continued, trying desperately to sound casual, but her voice was becoming husky. "It's our anniversary tonight. A year since you've started chasing me." she paused. "We should celebrate." And hardly knowing what she was doing, Saint Tail pulled her hand away from Asuka's mouth and leaned down. He lifted his head up to meet her and their lips met in a soft sugar kiss. Time stood still for an eternity, there was only sensation, until, from lack of oxygen, he pulled away, gasping.

Equally breathless and amazed at her own daring, Saint Tail whispered, "Good night, dear Detective," and pulled the quilt off of him and vanished into the night.

Asuka lay on the ground for a long time that night, trembling.

~~**~~**~~**~~**~~

"Oh, Seira, it was so-"

"Foolish?" the sister-in-training interjected.

"Wonderful," Meimi continued dreamily. Seira rolled her eyes good-naturedly.

"Just be careful," she warned her friend, "Remember, that above all, he wants to capture Saint Tail."

Meimi's mouth twisted into a frown. "That's the problem."

~~**~~**~~**~~**~~

At school the next day, Lina came up behind Asuka Jr. and coughed politely. He was staring out the window and didn't really notice her. She coughed again. No response. "Hey!" she yelled, and he jumped.

"Oh. It's you." He sighed and turned back to staring out the window. Lina's head started to throb. He was acting like a lovesick puppy! Had someone already managed to nab him?

Lina shrieked and smacked the poor guy on the back of his head. "I'm trying to *ask* you something, dummy!" Asuka rubbed his head and glared at her.

"What?" he asked, annoyed.

Meimi watched the encounter out of the corner of her eye. She saw the turn things were taking. Barely understanding what she was doing, Meimi clenched her hands into fists and counted softly "One, two, three!" Floating outside the window there was now a balloon, a calling card. Meimi's eyes widened in shock when she realized what she had done. A smile grew on Asuka Jr.'s face. 

"I will come to the park tonight for hidden treasure. -Saint Tail" he read excitedly. Meimi suppressed a groan. Yes, she had wanted to see Asuka again, and she wanted to keep Lina away from him, but where had that bit about "hidden treasure" come from?! 

Asuka Jr.'s green eyes were lit with a content glow. Lina nearly growled. "What was it you wanted again?" he asked, turning to face her again.

She nearly spit in her rage. "All you can ever think about is Saint Tail! That's the only time you're happy! I wanted to see if you maybe wanted to get ice cream today after school... but I guess you're too busy with your precious Saint Tail! Honestly, why are you so *interested* in that guy?"

"*She's* not a guy." Asuka Jr. said calmly. "Sorry Lina, but I guess I will be busy tonight. He smiled slowly to himself. Meimi was torn away from this delicious picture by an insistent tugging. She looked up and smiled obliviously when she saw it was Seira.

"What are you doing?" Seira hissed at her. Meimi shook her head, clearing it.

"I don't know..." she whispered, her heart suddenly pounding in her chest_. *What am I going to do?!*_

~~**~~**~~**~~**~~

Dun dun dun!!! To be continued!

Things take an evil turn as Lina gets jealous... andother stuff too! ^_~ If you liked, review! What a concept! lol, oh and for those who are waiting for more chapters of HP fics... sowry! Been busy and this struck me over the head! but this summer... *cackles insanely*

~RainShadow


	2. A Commission and a Rendezvous

A/N: Second part, yay! Third part will be up in a few days. ^_^ Hope you like! Thank you's for previous reviews at the end. 

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Melodies of the Wind: Part Two: A Commission and a Rendezvous

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The tall blonde gazed introspectively out of the high office window over looking the city. Her back was disciplined and straight, and as she turned around, the sun glinted off her steel gray eyes. With her arched cheekbones and imperiously tilted chin, she was coldly beautiful.

She spoke to the nervous young man, a sweet-looking, blue-eyed thing that couldn't be a day over twenty. Her voice was surprisingly warm and inviting.

"Mr. Nagashina," she began, and then smiled frigidly. "May I call you Christian?" at his affirmative nod, she continued. "Well, Christian, recently a public menace has been brought to my attention, a thief who steals and gets away with it. A very valuable carpet was recently taken from me by the wretch... it was very difficult to obtain." She pursed her lips angrily. Suddenly, she whirled around and asked, "Christian, do you find me attractive?"

"I'm sorry, what did you-" he stuttered, abashed and confused.

She smiled wolfishly. "Very good. Now, I know you would want to do anything possible to contain a public menace..." Christian nodded, "and since the authorities are quite incompetent in meting out proper justice... I have a job for you." She stepped forward and tapped her fingers on his chest. "I am hiring you to observe this thief. Find out the weakness of Saint Tail! Can you do this?"

The young man suddenly found his confidence. Brushing his soft brown hair back, he nodded. "Of course Mrs. Yoshinoya. You can count on me."

"You will, of course," she purred, stepping closer to him, "Be paid. Quite. Handsomely." Her well-manicured hands slid under his shirt. His cornflower blue eyes widened and he took a step back.

"Mrs. Yosh-" his protests were cut off by a harsh kiss, her sour tongue in his mouth. Her hands found the buckle of his belt and deftly undid it. Christian let out a reluctant moan which the seductress smirked triumphantly at. Another innocent corrupted. And she couldn't wait for Saint Tail...

~~**~~**~~**~~**~~

"What were you thinking?!" Seira exclaimed frustratedly, her voice muffled somewhat through the confessional's grid.

"I... Lina..." Meimi said softly.

"Well, it kept Lina from dating him *this* time, but what about next time? Or the time after that?"

Meimi hung her head. "I know, I was just so jealous!"

Seira took a deep breath. "Okay, stop beating yourself up and let's figure out what you're going to do tonight. Are you going to go?"

"Of course!" the red head said indignantly. "I couldn't *leave* him there *waiting* for me!"

"Okay, okay!" Seira interrupted hastily. "So ditching isn't an option. Maybe... oh I don't know. Honestly, "hidden treasure"?!" Meimi groaned and hid her head in her hands.

"I don't know where that came from." she mumbled. "I mean, what hidden treasure is there at the park? Wait!" she cried suddenly, lifting her head. I have an idea!"

~~**~~**~~**~~**~~

Since the park was public property, Asuka Jr. figured he didn't need to contact the authorities. He whistled softly, strolling nonchalantly through the trees. He was admittedly in a very good mood from the night before, though he had no idea what this hidden treasure could be.

Silently, Saint Tail dropped out of the tree she had been waiting in. She landed behind the detective and slipped a blindfold over his eyes. He jerked in surprise, nearly tripping.

"Shhh..." that silky voice whispered in his ear. He reached out instinctively, but she skipped nimbly out of his grasp.

"Ah, ah. If you try to capture me tonight I'm outta here. No tricks, okay?'

Asuka hesitated, then nodded. He felt her gloved hand slide into his as she gently guided him through the dark woods. They walked for a long time, and then suddenly the air changed, became cooler, clammier.

"Okay," the thief whispered, untying the blindfold. Asuka blinked in the darkness. 

"Where are we?"

"Don't turn around." she instructed him. "In a cave... somewhere," she said.

"A cave?"

"Hidden treasure, detective," she teased. "Watch now," and Meimi whispered "One, two, three!" and suddenly light bounced across the cave, hitting the ceiling and the walls and revealing the most breathtaking landscape Asuka Jr. had ever laid eyes on. Brilliant flashes of amethyst and rose quartz dazzled his eyes, displaying stalactites delicately chiseled with water and age, forming a weblike network all around them.

"It's beautiful," he breathed in awe, taking it in, this cavern of crystals.

"You like it?" Saint Tail asked, pleasure evident in her voice. "I wanted to show you. My Papa found it..."

_*'My Papa'... of course, she has a father...*_ Slowly the light faded and Asuka felt a pang of sadness... would he ever truly know Saint Tail?

He turned toward her in the darkness. " Saint Tail... do I know you?" he asked, the question hanging in the air between them.

"Yes, and no. Yes you know me, but no, you'll never know me." she said sadly.

"Why not?" he asked, boldly taking a step toward her.

"Detective, you know that would never work," she sounded exasperated. "You're trying to capture me. Sooner or later you'll figure out who I am. Then you'll hate me. There is no future."

"I could never hate you," he said earnestly, taking another step towards her. It was so dark he could barely make out her outline, let alone her face.

Suddenly she was in his arms, her face pressed into his neck, a warm wetness on his skin. He wrapped his arms around her small frame and they stood in their cave, water trickling slowly about them.

"It isn't fair," Saint Tail moaned. Asuka Jr. could give no answer... it was true. Instead, he did what had haunted his thoughts and dreams since the night before. He kissed her, so familiar and yet alien at once. She responded desperately.

"Of course," he gasped when they pulled apart, "I'm still going to catch you."

"Of course." _*You could try right now and I wouldn't be able to move*_

"Why did you bring me here?" he whispered into her hair.

_*Lina,*_ she thought darkly, but replied, "For being adorably clueless." She pulled away from his marvelous warmth reluctantly and pulled the blindfold over his eyes again. She led him carefully out of the cave and he felt fresh air flowing over his face again.

Soft lips pressed against his for a brief moment and then she was gone, like a butterfly on the wind.

Slowly, her removed the blindfold, fingering the soft satin and reliving the night. A smile on his face, he shoved his hands in his pockets and started for home.

When he was out of earshot, Lina Takamiya emerged from a clump of nearby bushes. She hadn't heard much, but she had seen the stolen kiss. She angrily wiped a tear from her face. "You win, Saint Tail," she muttered.

"I'm sorry," a voice came from the trees above her, and Lina whirled around.

"You!" she cried.

"I didn't mean for you to be hurt." her voice carried a sympathetic sadness.

Lina straightened proudly. "Sure," she snorted, tossing her short blonde hair. "I just hope you know what you're doing, Haneoka." She got no response, so she continued. "If you hurt him-"

"I would do no such thing!"

"You don't deserve him," Lina bit angrily into the darkness. "Not at all."

"I know..."

"You're deceiving him!"

"I know!" Meimi yelled. "You think I'm stupid or something?!" she took a deep breath. "I know what I'm doing. He's a good guy."

"Yes he is. Good bye, Haneoka."

"My name is Saint Tail."

Lina rolled her eyes. "Right. Saint Tail." she inclined her head at the hidden speaker.

"Good bye, Takamiya." Meimi whispered, then bounded away into the night. She *really* needed to think.

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TBC soon!

Thank yous to:

****

krystyn l. e. (lol, thank you!), **sammie_gurl **(glad you liked it!), **Call me Firefly**, **Ara Moon** (thank you for pointing that out ^_^), **Azurite** (thank you, too ^_~), **Naru-chan**, **Rini** (eee, here's the next part!), and **me**

More A/N: The plot gets a wee bit more complictated here, but not by much. You don't see any real development til Part 3. So, did you like the bit with the cave?? I hope so! I really had a good time writing this chapter, especially the conversation between Lina and Meimi. I'm so excited about this plotline, it's so twisty!! ^_^

Review please?

~RainShadow


	3. Two Thefts, An Update, and the Wind Heal...

A/N: I. Hate. School. sorry it's a bit short. *ahem* thank you's at the end ^_^

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Melodies of the Wind: Part Three: Two Thefts, An Update, and the Wind Healer

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"Are you sure you did not obtain this ring illegally?" Asuka Jr. asked the very nervous looking man whose house he was guarding.

"No! Never!" The man protested. Beside him, his very nervous looking wife was whispering in his ear.

"All right." the detective dismissed. Once Saint Tail arrived, the truth would come out. He turned around, inspecting everything. He spotted someone who did not belong, a young man, watching unobtrusively from a corner.

Asuka approached him, a frown on his serious features. "Can I help you?" he asked politely.

The young man started, looked down at the 15-year-old. "Oh! I'm a reporter; I'm doing an article on Saint Tail. Christian Nagashina." He held out his hand and Asuka shook it.

"Asuka Jr. I'm in charge here. An article about Saint Tail?" Asuka preened. "I know a lot about her, you could interview me."

The man became interested. "A lot you say? Like for instance, how she gets away with stealing?"

Asuka instantly disliked the young reporter. "Saint Tail always steals for a reason. A righteous reason." he explained patiently.

"Uh huh." he didn't seem convinced.

"Really!" Asuka insisted, defending the thief. "Don't make her out to be some common criminal-"

"Oh, I see," the taller man leaned in conspiratorially. "Are you two... lovers?"

"What?!" squawked Asuka, nearly falling over. "Of course not!"

"Too bad." the man said regretfully. "That would be a great story... 'Detective and Thief- Lovers by Day, Enemies by Night' or something..."

"Okay..." Asuka backed away slowly from Mr. Nagashina, who had a scary gleam in his eye, and tried to focus. Right, now, if he knew Saint Tail- and he did- _*hot breath on his neck, sleek creature in his arms* _flashed through his mind's eye. _*No can't think about that!*_ he chastised himself.

He blinked, and suddenly there she was before him, sliding swiftly down a rope attached to a gaping ceiling skylight. "There she is!" he cried, running towards her and alerting the guards. But she already had the ring in her hands. As she nimbly climbed up the rope, she shouted,

"I'll be giving this back to its rightful owner, your daughter's fiancé!" Asuka Jr. reached the rope and started to climb up after her. "Not too high, Detective!" her voice chimed a warning, and he leapt to the ground as she cut the rope and it slithered to the floor.

"I'll capture you yet, Saint Tail!" he shouted after her as she disappeared into the night. 

He turned to the couple. The wife approached him, her eyes red from crying, while behind her, the husband glared. "It's true!" she confessed. "We stole it from Rina's boyfriend!" Asuka Jr. nodded. He knew it had to have been something like this. The security arrested the couple, and Asuka left the scene, happy if not satisfied.

But Christian stayed. He spotted a young woman watching the proceedings, half hidden behind a door. He hurried over to her. "Are you the daughter?" he asked excitedly.

"Yes," she admitted. "My name's Rina. I gave the ring to my fiancé as a gift, only, my parents got angry and demanded I take it back. When I refused, they stole it from him. Thank the Lord for Saint Tail." she said reverently.

"How did Saint Tail know to help you?" he prompted.

The girl shrugged. "I prayed for help. The Lord works in mysterious ways..."

Christian turned away in disgust. This wasn't getting him anywhere.

~~**~~**~~**~~**~~

The next time Saint Tail made an appearance, Christian was there again. He gathered two pieces of information: Perhaps he hadn't been so far off about the detective and the thief- the way the boy looked at her... and someone had prayed for guidance. At Saint Paulia's Church.

He reported these things to Mrs. Yoshinoya now. They were in the woman's magnificent home, sitting on lavishly embroidered sofas, drinking expensive tea. To his credit, Christian only flinched once in her presence. Unfortunately, she noticed.

Setting down her empty cup of tea (made from pure crystal), she rose and paced thoughtfully. "Good work." she finally said. "Go to this church, observe it's comings and goings. Find out how Saint Tail gets her information." Christian nodded and began to stand up. She pushed him back down onto the couch. "Now where do you think you're going?" she said harshly, pulling at his shirt buttons. 

He moaned, "Please, not again-"

"You don't really want me to stop, do you?"

She didn't give him a chance to answer.

~~**~~**~~**~~**~~

"Meimi, come look at this!" Seira called from her desk. It was morning and they were at school, before classes started.

Meimi wandered over, surprised. She had rarely heard her friend sound so excited. "What?"

Seira held up an article from a newspaper. "Listen to this!" Meimi scanned the article, trying to decipher it. Something about a new experimental device, something technical, harnessing the natural properties of wind... Meimi shook her head. "What does it mean?" she asked plaintively.

"It's a new invention!" Seira was positively beaming. "This thing is designed so that when the wind blows through it, it produces a strange healing melody. If people who are sick listen to it over a long period of time, they start to get better. It's a gradual process, and they're still working on it- but isn't it wonderful? Think of all the people this can help!" she exclaimed, her eyes shining. "They're calling it the wind healer."

~~**~~**~~**~~**~~

TBC

Thank yous to: **Rini**, **Helen** (thank you!), **Call me Firefly **(I'm glad you liked it!), and **anonymous reviewer** (interesting is good, I think.)

More A/N: Here we go, now the fic starts gaining speed. As to the next chapter, I honestly don't know. This chapter was basically done a week ago [except for a few minor things] but school started. bah! Review, please? ^_^

~RainShadow


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